Cotton-tramper.



R. MURRAY.

COTTON TRAMPER.

APPLICATION FILED mac. I8. 1914.

Llfi fi igfv Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

2 SHEETS- SHEET 1- R. MURRAY.

COTTON TRAMPER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I8. I914. 1,16%.C3. Pmmm m. m, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

RUSSELL MURRAY, 0F LOVELADY, TEXAS.

COTTON-TRAMPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 141, 1915.

Application filed December 18, 1914. Serial No. 877,929.

1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. RUSSELL iIURRAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lovelady, in the county of Houston and State of Texas, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in (otton-Trampers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

"The present invention has relation to inachinery for condensing cottonpreliminary to preparing the same to be baled.

The invention provides an appliance for receiving the cotton from thegin and com pressing the same preliminary to being subjected to pressurein the cotton compress.

The invention provides a cotton tramper which may be used singly or inseries according, as the products from one or a number of gins is to becondensed.-

The invention consists of the novel features, details of constructionand combination of parts, which hereinafter will be more particularlyset forth, illustrated and claimed.

In the drawings hereto attached: Figure 1 is a view in elevation of acotton tramper embodying the invention, parts being broken away. Fig. 2isa side view, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a top plan view. Fig. 1 isan enlarged section of one of the baling chambers, the box, and aportion of the chute. Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on the line 55 ofFig. 8.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription, and indi cated in all the views of the drawing, by the samereference characters.

The frame work for receiving and supporting the working parts-isgenerally indicated by the reference numeral 1, and comprises uprightsand transverse and longi= tudin'al connecting members. A box 2 ismounted upon the lower portion of the frame work and, is adapted toreceive the cotton from the gin by means of a chute 3, the delivery endof which is closed by means of a gate 4 which is shut when the followeris lowered and open when the follower is elevated, thereby preventingdelivery of cotton when the follower is lowered and insuring a supply ofcotton to the box when the follower is elevated. The follower or plunger5 is adapted to reciprocate vertically and is attached to a rod 6 whichin turn is con nected with a cross head 7, which is mounted to move inguides 8 attached to the frame work 1. A cross piece 9 connects thelower ends of the guides 8 and is apertured to receive the rod 6 andacts jointly with the cross head 7 to direct the follower orplunger inits reciprocating movements. A shaft 10 is located at the upper end ofthe frame work 1 and is provided with a crank wheel 11 and a frictionwheel 12. A pitman 18 connects the wrist pin of the crank wheel 11 withthe cross head 7 and imparts a reciprocating movement thereto when thedevice is in operation. A drive belt 11 connects a pulley 15 secured toa shaft 16 with a pulley 17 secured upon acountershaft 18 located nearthe lower end of the frame work 1. The shaft 16 is provided at its innerend with a friction gear 19 which engages the friction gear 12 so as todrive the shaft 10. It is proposed to arrange the friction gears 12 and19 in such a manner as to separate the same when it is not required tooperate the plunger and an operating lever 24 is arranged in such amanner as to effect a movement of the friction gear 19 to throw the sameinto or out of engagement with the friction gear 12. The inner end ofthe shaft 16 is mounted in a bearing 20, which is movable upon a part ofthe frame work 1, and which is connected by means of a link 21 with thelever 2 1. Movement of the lever 24: in one direction brings thefriction wheel 19 into engagement with the friction wheel 12 andmovement of such lever in an opposite direction, throws the frictionwheel 19 away from the friction wheel 12.

A plunger 5 may be held in the required position by means of a brakeshoe 22 which is connected with a shaft 23 to which an operating lever25 is secured. The levers 24 and 25 are provided with suitable means forholding them in the required adjusted position. The baling box 26 islocated in a lower plane than the box 2 which receives the charge to beforced into the baling box. It is preferred to provide at least twobaling boxes and to have the same connected to a frame work 27 which ismounted to turn about a vertical shaft 28. By this arrange ment. thebale partly compressed by the plunger 5 is finally compressed while anew bale is forming. A follower 29 is located out of line with theplunger 5 preferably at an opposite point and operates to compress thepreviously formed bale. A block 30 arranged above the follower 29sustains the pressure when finally compressing the bale. The frame work27 and the baling box 26 are arranged to operate in an opening 31 formedin a floor 32 which is located about midway between the upper and lowerends of the baling boxes.

The cotton from the gins or other material to be compressed is fed tothe box 2 by means of the chute 3. When the plunger 5 descends, the gate4 likewise lowers and prevents the material passing into the box 2 abovethe plunger 5. Upon the upward stroke of the plunger 5 after compressingthe material into the baling box 26, a stop 33 projecting from the gate4 is engaged by the plunger 5 and causes the gate 4 to move upward withsuch plunger. The gate 4 opcrates between rollers 34 and a gage 35.After the material has been compressed in the baling box 26, the framework 27 is given a partial turn to bring such baling box in line withthe follower 29 and block 30, when the material is compressed to therequired degree to form the bale.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of themethod of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the artto which the invention appertains, and while I have described theprinciple of operation of the invention, together with the device whichI now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have itunderstood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that suchchanges may be made .when desired as are within the scope of theinvention as claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed asnew is 1. In amechanism of the character set forth, the combination of means forcondensing fibrous material, the same comprising an element and acooperating plunger, a shaft, a crank wheel secured to such shaft, apitman connection between the crank wheel and plunger for imparting areciprocating movement thereto, a countershaft, means for transmittingmotion from the countershaft to the first mentioned shaft, a third shaftadapted to have a continuous movement imparted thereto and frictiongearing connecting said third shaft with the countershaft, said frictiongearing beingseparable to admit of throwing the compressing mechanismout of gear without stopping the movement of the said third shaft.

2. In combination, a box adapted to receive fibrous material to beformed into a bale, a plunger for compressingthe material in such box, ashaft provided with a crank wheel and plunger, a brake adapted tocooperate with the crank wheel, a friction wheel secured to such shaft,a second shaft,

a friction wheel secured to the second shaft and adapted to engage thefriction wheel of the crank shaft, a movable bearing forjthe secondshaft, an operating lever having connection with such movable bearingand throwing the friction wheels into or out of engagement, and meansfor imparting a continuous rotary movement to the said second shaft.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RUSSELL MURRAY.

Witnesses C. FjNrnssw, C. B. Moon.

